The Future of Bathrooms: Post-Covid

Loading...
The Future of Bathrooms: Post-Covid

Bathrooms have seen several changes since the Covid-19 pandemic has swept through the world. These changes mainly revolve around improving the overall health and cleanliness of the area. There are several different ways this has been done, which mainly depend on the type of bathroom, where it is located and who will be using it. Both commercial and residential bathrooms have seen changes and will continue to see changes as our knowledge about the virus continues to evolve. This guide will go through a detailed look on how bathrooms will change in the future in order to promote health and safety.

The Future of Bathrooms: Post-Covid The Future of Bathrooms: Post-Covid

Commercial Bathrooms and How they May Look in the Future

One of the most important aspects of a healthy commercial bathroom is the cleanliness of the design. This includes the layout of the fixtures, available products and overall safety of the area. Commercial bathrooms, depending on where they are, can see a great amount of traffic from many different people. Because of this, a commercial bathroom must be designed in a healthy manner. Here are some of the ways bathrooms have changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and how they could continue to evolve in the future.

Hands-Free Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories

One of the best ways to limit the spread of bacteria and germs is to have hands-free bathroom fixtures and accessories. In today’s market, many different hands-free fixtures and accessories are there for you to purchase. Due to this, they are becoming staples in commercial bathrooms everywhere.

Hands-Free Faucets

One of the most common fixtures you will find in a commercial bathroom is a hands-free bathroom faucet. Because it is used so much by so many different people, it is important to have a hands-free method to wash your hands. These faucets will have a motion sensor located somewhere on the faucet. Temperature will be controlled in a different area due to the touchless nature of the hands-free faucet.

Hands-Free Soap Dispensers

Much like a hands-free faucet, a hands-free soap dispenser will aid to limit the spread of bacteria and germs while washing hands. This necessary bathroom item will be activated by a motion sensor in most cases, simply by placing your hand under the spout or pump. The amount of soap dispensed is limited with each use, making it easy to dispense the right amount of soap each time.

Hand Dryers

To finish the trio of the necessary pieces of a hand washing station, a hand dryer will be the best way to dry hands in a clean and healthy manner. These fixtures can come in various forms and designs, but they will all work in the same general way. Much like a hand-free soap dispenser, a hand dryer will typically be activated by sensing hands under the dryer itself.

Automatic Flushing Toilets

Almost every commercial bathroom that values cleanliness will have some type of automatic flushing toilets. These will also be activated by a motion sensor that promotes as much cleanliness as possible. Some bathrooms will include disposable toilet seat covers. This is due to the sheer amount of people that will end up using the toilet in some cases. Because toilets will generally be the hardest to keep clean, it is important to do what you can to provide all of the items to keep the area healthy.

Automatic Trash Cans

A less common, but impactful, bathroom fixture for commercial bathrooms is the automatic trash can. Of course, each bathroom will have some type of trash can. Most will have a trash can with an open top. This is sufficient in most cases, but sometimes an automatic trash can will be the best option in terms of cleanliness. Automatic trash cans will be activated by a sensor and some trash cans will be opened by a foot pedal. Trash cans with lids will be optimal.

How Commercial Bathrooms Will Need to Improve to Optimize Cleanliness

Although many commercial bathrooms already incorporate different hands-free and automatic features, there is still room for improvement. For example, automatic toilets are necessary in a clean bathroom, but they are not yet optimized in this sense. Many commercial toilets will not have lids or covers, which are necessary to fully optimize the fixture. Although this may be inconvenient, innovation will allow this to happen, due to the potential consequences of the Covid-19 virus.

Another way to improve a commercial bathroom is to update bathroom stalls in a number of ways. First of all, most American bathroom stalls will have openings on the bottom and sides, as well as less than optimal doors in terms of privacy and security. Stalls can be made more secure in these ways in order to promote both sanitation and privacy, two important elements of a bathroom design. Both of these points in combination with the use of automatic or hands-free fixtures will be needed for bathrooms to truly take a step in the right direction to make the space as clean and comfortable as possible.

The Future of Bathrooms: Post-Covid The Future of Bathrooms: Post-Covid

The Importance of a Bathroom Layout Post-Covid

All of the small pieces of bathroom functionality will play their part in a healthy bathroom design. However, it is crucial that the bathroom is designed efficiently and safely as a whole. This will mainly deal with the positioning of the bathroom fixtures and accessories, as well as the way everything is spaced out. Social distancing has become a standard practice in everyday life in public spaces. Because of this, it will most likely translate to the commercial bathroom design.

The obvious issue with this is the limited space allotted for most bathrooms. Bathrooms can’t easily expand on physical floor space without massive renovations to the building in most cases. To remedy this situation, fixtures and accessories need to be perfectly placed. The standard six foot distance may not be achievable in some designs, so this must be done as best as possible to compensate for it. As long as fixtures are spaced out while being easily accessible, the design should be as close as it can to being efficient and safe.

Available Cleaning Accessories and Products

Every bathroom, especially commercial bathrooms, should have some cleaning supplies, mostly for personal use. This includes mainstay bathroom items, such as soap. However, there are various others that should be considered as well. Here are some of the best products to consider for a commercial bathroom to promote health and comfort.

Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer should be included in every bathroom. It is a great complement to soap, not a replacement. Hand sanitizer can be put into an automatic dispenser, similarly to a soap dispenser. This will offer the most sanitary option to dispense the hand sanitizer. Mount it on the wall or place it on a countertop.

Tissues

Tissues are simple yet versatile items to keep in a bathroom to help keep it clean. They should be kept in a protective box or container in order to keep them intact. They should also be routinely replaced in order to keep them as available and clean as possible.

Disinfectant Wipes

To keep the surfaces of a bathroom clean, disinfectant wipes are useful. They can be used on any solid surface to rid them from any harmful bacteria. In addition, disinfectant wipes are great for wiping down fixtures and accessories to keep them clean.

Odor Control Products

Although they are not the best in terms of physical cleanliness in terms of surfaces or high traffic areas, Air fresheners and odor control products are very useful. They make the area more comfortable and pleasant to be in. In addition, some can include some disinfectant as well.

 

Dividers Between Fixtures

Another great way to help design a bathroom around the threat of the virus is to create dividers where possible. These dividers should be made of a safe, yet effective material. An example of this that has been popular is plexiglass dividers in between sinks. This can be easily set up and it is also very affordable. Bathroom stalls should also be built to protect against the spread of germs or bacteria. This can be done by extending the stall wall to the floor. This line of thinking should be used in all areas of the bathroom where it can be done easily. The safety of each individual using the bathroom is important, and plexiglass will help greatly in this sense.

How Covid-19 Affects the Residential Bathroom Design

Commercial bathrooms will see much more traffic from different people than a residential bathroom design will. Due to this, the approach to creating a safe and healthy residential bathroom will be slightly different. There are several factors that go into this process, with a few main components playing a major role. Again, the differences between a residential and commercial bathroom are enough in this case, that a different design plan will likely be necessary.

Keep Disinfectant Cleaning Products Readily Available

One sure fire way to ensure a clean bathroom space is maintained is through the inclusion of easily accessible disinfectants. These can come in the form of wipes, air purifiers and other similar types of products. These products should be stored somewhere where they are hidden, while still being very accessible when they are needed. This can be in a medicine cabinet, bathroom vanity or any other type of storage unit.

Wipe Down Surfaces and Fixtures

Because cleanliness should always be prioritized in a bathroom post-covid, it is important to wipe down surfaces regularly. Ideally, this should be done after every time the bathroom is used. Of course, it can be easy to forget about this. If you forget to wipe down your surfaces and fixtures every one in a while, you do not need to worry about it. Just do it as much as you can and you should be fine. Wiping down your surfaces will help to keep the area free of harmful bacteria, but it will also make the area look much more orderly. It is best to wipe your surfaces with wipes once or twice a week. However, you can also use a microfiber cloth or a similar cleaner to simply wipe the moisture off your surfaces.

Take Care of Personal Hygiene

The bathroom space as a whole should always be clean and maintained properly. However, it is even more important to keep yourself healthy at all times. This can be made easy in a residential or home bathroom by including various different items. For example, hand sanitizer is useful for combating viruses such as Covid-19. Keep it handy on your countertop, shelf or mounted on the wall in order to have it when you need it. You should also be aware of the other personal hygiene routines you should be doing. Hopefully, you are already doing most of these tasks, but it is crucial that you are doing them on a regular basis. Simple tasks such as washing your hands, brushing your teeth and other similar things should be done daily. They are small, but they are important when it comes to personal health.

 

Will These Design Changes Last?

Because we are still in the early stages of fighting this new virus, some of these design changes will probably be standard for the foreseeable future. Other design changes may not be necessary once more information or tech becomes available that can be used to fight the virus more effectively.

Will These Design Changes Last?

First of all, hands-free bathroom fixtures and accessories will likely be here to stay in both residential and commercial bathroom designs. They will be common in commercial bathrooms due to the high amount of traffic they will see. Hands-free fixtures and accessories have been common in bathrooms even before covid, so they will not likely be going anywhere soon. You will also see increased amounts of certain cleaning products and similar items available in bathrooms. Items such as hand sanitizer and wipes will be common in bathrooms for a while. Much like hands-free fixtures and accessories, these items will be standard in the industry for quite a while.

Design Changes that will Likely be Temporary

One of the design changes that will probably fade away at some point will be physical dividers between sinks or other fixtures. Though they are effective in playing their part against the virus, they can get in the way if they are not perfectly installed. Once more vaccines and information become available, these will probably fade away in the modern bathroom design. Bathrooms designed around social distancing will probably not last too long as a standard, if they even become one. It is often difficult to remodel a bathroom for the sake of social distancing, so this won’t be something that becomes very common. Social distancing is very important. However, depending on the size of the bathroom, it isn’t always practical.

 

In Conclusion

When it comes to fighting the Covid-19 virus, there are many ways bathrooms can be adapted for safety and health. Some of these design changes are likely here to stay for the future, while others are most likely going to be temporary. Either way, all of these design changes will do something to prioritize health and safety. If you can’t decide how to update your bathroom post-covid, it is better to be safe than sorry. Do what you can to optimize your bathroom, whether it is a residential or commercial design. Follow standard health practices to keep yourself and those around you safe.

Previous article:
Next article:
© 2012-2024 Modo Stores. All Rights Reserved.